Samurai Kids 1

November 8, 2010
First in a martial arts series written in chapter-long vignettes, Fussell's debut is infused with authentic emotion and an agile plot. Niya, a 14-year-old, one-legged boy with a vivid imagination, goes to study with the Cockroach Ryu in the Tateyama Mountains of Japan, led by ancient and mysterious sensei Ki-Yaga, who speaks using proverbs and encourages his disciples to embrace their spirit animals. "My spirit totem flew into my heart. When I look into the mirror, I don't see my reflection; I see the White Crane. If I am afraid, it crouches with me and I'm not alone," says Niya. There he meets Mikko, who has one arm; Yoshi, who is strong and large, but refuses to fight; Kyoko, who has an extra finger and toe; and Taji, who is blind. As they train for a coming-of-age ceremony followed by the Samurai Trainee Games, they gain strength from the sensei's lessons (from sword fighting to calligraphy) and from their budding friendships. James's expressive b&w illustrations and Fussell's focus on misfits beating the odds should insure that this spirited story appeals to a broad audience. Ages 9–14.

September 1, 2010

Gr 5-7-Friendship triumphs in this Australian import set in feudal Japan. Niya Moto and his friends all struggle with a disadvantage in their samurai training: he is missing a leg, and his fellow students are missing an arm, are blind, have extra fingers and toes, or refuse to fight. But by putting faith in their friendship and following the quiet wisdom of their sensei, they discover they can triumph against the odds. Filled with Zen-sounding aphorisms, the book has moments of sheer cleverness, making the obvious themes easier to swallow. The style seems geared toward struggling readers, and the setting is sure to appeal to samurai vs. ninja fans who aren't too concerned about historical accuracy. Some details, such as sword making and bushido philosophy, seem well grounded in the period, while major plot designs, such as training children with missing limbs to be samurai, come across as utterly inaccurate, and Niya sounds like a modern Western narrator. Still, the depiction of children overcoming the physical odds is positive. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the storytelling, and the little bit of Japanese sprinkled in is well explained.-Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2010

Set in an alternative feudal-ish Japan, this is the story of five kids with severe disabilities or disfigurements who have been accepted for training in a school for samurai. The unusual Cockroach Ryu is directed by the elderly, highly respected (and amusingly crotchety) samurai Ki-Yaga. Ki-Yaga and his equally cranky horse, Uma, are distinct as characters and add much to the book—humor, tactics and the use of pudding as a tool for success. The plot starts unusually slowly, limiting tension, suspense and probably audience, since adventure fans expect lashings of the first two qualities from the start. And the five students in this book are identified primarily by their disabilities (blindness, one leg, one arm, having six fingers, fear of fighting) for the first third of the story. This disappointingly reductive technique results in unclear characterization; by the time additional and critical back story is provided, many readers will have given up. Given these flaws, it is doubtful that most kids will stay with the book long enough to become engaged with story or characters. (Adventure. 11-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Four, later five teen samuraimost with physical differencesbeat the odds at the annual Samurai Trainee Games in this opener to the Samurai Kids series. Once a mighty warrior but now an old man who seemingly prefers to doze in the shade, sensei Ki-Yaga has invited an unlikely crew to his Cockroach Ryu (school) for instruction in the arts and ethics of Bushido. As seen through the eyes of one-legged narrator Niya Moto, that instruction involves more horseplay than hard practice with pink-eyed Kyoko, who has extra digits on her hands and feet; one-armed Mikko; blind Taji; and other schoolmatesbut the Cockroaches display sufficient spirit and teamwork to emerge triumphant in the games over the sneering Dragons. Though not exactly filled with wall-to-wall action like Jeff Stones Five Ancestors series, the tale is lightened by pratfalls and wry bits of wisdom (He who remembers what Bushido teaches will never miss out on great desserts) and is threaded with information about traditional samurai values. James Japanese-style spot art and tableaus at the plots high points supply martial-arts atmosphere.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)